Like John Tamihere before him, Shane Jones entered Parliament burdened with the promise that he might be first Maori Prime Minister. That promise had probably left him before it emerged yesterday evening that he was walking away from politics, but that's the Jones that Morgan Godfery mourns today in an eloquent, emotional post that identifies, for better and worse, Jones' political whakapapa and his meaning for many Maori.

Maori political history isn't rich with choice. Telling us to wait for a more "progressive" candidate is deeply offensive. Maori have waited too long for too little. Shane was an opportunity and one many - including myself - were willing to back. He wasn’t perfect, but he was as close as we’ve come in more than a decade to the centre of power. Winston was the last Maori politician to come close to real power. It’s been a century since Maori actually touched it (Carroll as acting prime minister). Forgive us for working with what we have.

Morgan was not alone in his perspective after the news broke. As always seems to be the case, his departure was Labour's fault -- in this instance for allowing its white, liberal membership to squander the talents of a uniquely gifted leader.

But no one owed Jones any glory. He's intelligent and articulate and he was brought into politics by the modern Labour Party's most important broker of influence, Helen Clark. He had every chance, but he lacked the focus and discipline to harness his gifts and opportunities.

The press gallery – with its usual acumen – decided that speaking like an eccentric Victorian-era Oxford don meant that Jonesy was ‘connecting with working class kiwis’. I never saw any evidence of this. Jones performed poorly as an electorate candidate during multiple elections: actual voters were never as impressed with him as the gallery were. During the Labour leadership campaign Jones’ support among Maori voters was only 37% – which strikes me as shockingly low, considering they’re being offered the chance to endorse a contender for first Maori Prime Minister. It reflects – I suspect – Jonsey’s incredibly low support among female voters across the board.

For good measure, he writes off Jones as "an undisciplined, waffling misogynist who probably cost [Labour] more votes than he ever won."

Both sides of Shane Jones have been on display this year. On the one hand, his work in making the Countdown supermarkets' business practices an issue has been textbook Opposition politics. On the other, his pointless, destructive attacks on the Green Party actively hampered Labour in looking like a prospective government.

It is now evident that through all this he was considering his exit. He was clever enough to feed Matthew Hooton the suggestion that he had his eye on New Zealand First, to see how that played, but I don't think this was all calculation. In the end, he wanted out. He had concerns that he might not fare well in this year's party list and, I gather, personal reasons for reconsidering the hurly-burly of politics.

The pundits are as one today in their analysis of how bad this is for Labour (and, if you couldn't guess, it's all Labour's fault, because it always is). But there's one huge, wild piece of luck in in this for the party. The next candidate on the list is Kelvin Davis.

Like Jones, Davis is northern Maori. He's an authentic bloke. But he's not the reserve Shane Jones coming off the bench. He's smart, sensitive, disciplined and understands and wants to be part of the Labour Party story. He hasn't put a foot wrong since he got the news last night, and his interview on Morning Report today was fascinating. And no part of it was more so than the way he concluded it.

When Dover Samuels' claims about Jones' connection with "middle New Zealand" were put to him, he acknowledged similarities: "they talk about red-blooded men, and I'm into sports and standing around in a bar drinking with blokes and things like that ..."

But I have to say one of the big things that I want to achieve in Parliament is to raise the awareness and help to stop violence of any sort -- sexual, physical, emotional violence --- against our women and children. This was brought on by the Roastbusters scandal and the sexual abuse that's been going on in the far north. And I've been sitting here thinking for the last couple of months that if I should get back into Parliament I really want to make a stand and make a difference and say this is how we as males need to behave towards our women.

On a morning when mere punditry is everywhere, it was a thing of real substance to say. Yes, it was also adept in light of Labour politics, but I think he actually meant it. Labour can't do much about the pundits for now, but what it can do is not make the mistake of failing to accord Kelvin Davis a list placing that assures that he will be returned to Parliament. It really is that clear and simple.

199 responses to this post

I think it is great that Kelvin Davis will get into Parliment on Jones's retirement, what I would like to know why did the Labour grandees put him so far down the listAnd what is this going to do to Hone's and Dotcom chancesWe live in interesting times eh

I am by no means an overly PC, third-wave feminist type. And I am part of workplace where we indulge in some pretty filthy banter, which I enjoy and am fully complicit with....but that guy....was a stone cold misogynist and I am so glad he has gone.

I for one welcome the change. For all he is quoted as a man of the people, I ( a white female feminist) personally think that Shane Jones has portrayed over the past years that he is a man for Shane Jones. While he has every right to leave the Labour Party whenever and for whatever reason, promoting the National party offer of a job (which he says he has not accepted yet) at the same time suggests to me a very high level of pique and personal animosity to the present Labour Caucus. For me though, the much better plus side is: being this far out from the election, it can only be seen as a positive that the Labour Party is turning into a party for the left in a timely way. Thank you McCully and Jones.

Hooking up with National...Here's hoping Kelvin raises the temperature (and quality) of debate a degree or two......meanwhile should I head to the Feed thread for the inevitable result of National's 'Fishery-based drifter netting' - 'Poached Jones' recipes...?

There's a class of Labour politician who joins the party as a young person, not because they have much of a commitment to social justice, but because all their family and friends are Labour and they could not imagine a career in National (despite that being the place their attitudes would best fit).

They're very popular with the sort of right-wing commentators who'd love a Labour party that could be "trusted" to be National-lite for an occasional term while the real Nats rest and regroup.

The right isn't really burdened with an equivalent. I don't think Helen Clark ever considered joining National because her parents are farmers. Labour would do well not to be, either.

Shane Jones has left Parliament in the manner to which we have become accustomed, with self interest coming in first and second, and with the interests of the Labour Party (under whose banner he served) way, way back down the track.

After listening to Jones this morning, it did all sound very much about what *he* wanted. I know nothing of his 'personal' reasons for the decision. I respect they may have been pressing on him (he did mention his age a fair bit) but the decision could so easily have been announced a day later alongside party colleagues and leader. And/or Maori he supposedly served and led.

I look forward to an election season with less slagging of Labour's likely coalition partners, and to the return of the very talented Kelvin Davis to parliament. I believe Northland Maori and the rest of us have gained, not lost.

I look forward to an election season with less slagging of Labour's likely coalition partners, and to the return of the very talented Kelvin Davis to parliament. I believe Northland Maori and the rest of us have gained, not lost.

+1 Shane Jones is an impressive orator no doubt and could win any dick swinging contest but was it mana or hubris?

When Dover Samuels’ claims about Jones’ connection with “middle New Zealand” were put to him, he acknowledged similarities: “they talk about red-blooded men, and I’m into sports and standing around in a bar drinking with blokes and things like that …”

You might call me cynical for asking, but how does that add credibility to someone who wants to help run a country? and It is a given that any sort of violence against women and children (or other people) is unacceptable within our community’s today. I would be more impressed with the guys stance, if he actually had a plan.

how does that add credibility to someone who wants to help run a country?

it speaks to the tension between Labour's subtribes, stoked by folk like Chris Trotter and Josie Pagani.

This is a warning call for Labour; very few extra votes will be attracted to Labour because people like Shane are being driven out. And the more people who are driven out of the party, the more the party is dominated by people who don’t even realise there is a problem, let alone what the problem is.

Kelvin must really confuse her black/white worldview, which seems like a great thing to me. :)

You might call me cynical for asking, but how does that add credibility to someone who wants to help run a country?

A lot of people think it does. But Davis wasn't even saying that, he was responding to a question about the supposed common touch and whether he shared it with Jones.

and It is a given that any sort of violence against women and children (or other people) is unacceptable within our community’s today. I would be more impressed with the guys stance, if he actually had a plan.

Jesus, give the guy a break. He brought it up unprompted, spoke well and declared it a priority on his return to Parliament. I think that's pretty good going in his first interview.

It is a given that any sort of violence against women and children (or other people) is unacceptable within our community’s today.

No, it’s not. Theoretically, sure, but when the guy is someone you know, someone inside your community? The first thing many people will do – “even” white middle-class well-educated people – is make excuses for him. Stress. Drink. Things she did.

Stuff on Dotcom 28 March: "He repeated his claim that it would be represented in Parliament, whether or not it achieved the 5 per cent MMP threshold for list seats, because a sitting electorate MP would join."

Vikram Kumar on The Nation, 29 March: "Yup, and part of that is going to be answered. As Kim has said there is discussions going on with a sitting electorate MP"

No, it’s not. Theoretically, sure, but when the guy is someone you know, someone inside your community? The first thing many people will do – “even” white middle-class well-educated people – is make excuses for him. Stress. Drink. Things she did.

And that was why Davis putting the onus on men who commit the violence was so notable.

I was listening to that interview, thinking that he was doing very well indeed, and then Davis said this.

And I’ve been sitting here thinking for the last couple of months that if I should get back into Parliament I really want to make a stand and make a difference and say this is how we as males need to behave towards our women.

Fantastic. None of the sidestepping thinking that violence somehow just magically occurs, and that there are no perpetrators.

And yes, of course I know that women can be violent too. It's just so refreshing to see a politician not do the magic-there-are-no-perps dance.

John Armstrong faithfully regurgitates Nat lines about the Greens being against economic growth, painted as a black/white battle with the environment:

Jones, however, may have seen himself ending up as a paralysed economic development minister in a Labour-Greens coalition which saw him having to constantly battle on behalf of any project with environmental repercussions.